The Beacon, January 2008

A New Year ... again

The other day I was looking through an old desk of mine that is stored in our basement. I came upon a crumpled, yellowed newspaper clipping, given to me by my mother, probably fifty years ago. It was an article in "Sunshine Magazine", entitled "Wish for the New Year". When I re-read it, I knew that it was as relevant today as it was when I was a little boy. I share it with you.

Wish for the New Year

• That nothing will come to us that will make others poorer because we received it
• That whatever comes to us we shall have the grace to pass on to others for their benefit
• That we shall have work to do which has real value and without which the world would be poorer
• That we shall have a more understanding heart and a clearer mind to search for truth
• That we shall have the patience to wait for the best things and the good sense to recognize them when they come
• That we shall be so occupied with big things that we shall have no time for littleness
• That, above all things, we shall have faith in God and that we shall walk confidently through the unknown future hand in hand with God.

May 2008 be your greatest year yet!

Faithfully, Fr Bill

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Spreading the Word

Happy New Year! I hope you all are having a joyful Christmas season. Sharyn and I had an extended season starting with a weekend in Millbrook, NY, with Dawn and Nick; a weekend which was lengthened by a winter storm. The Saturday before Christmas we spent with Robert, Paula, Alex, and Jake, our family in Holliston; then the next day we flew to Tallahassee to spend with six days with David, Tammy, Dereck, Farah, Austin, Braden, and Leah. We came back in time to celebrate New Year's Eve by taking Alex and Jake so that their parents could celebrate their 10th anniversary. Then on January 5 we went to Sharyn's sister Susan's to celebrate with that part of the family that couldn't make it to Dawn and Nick's because of the storm mentioned earlier. It was a tiring season but a joyful one, except for the plane trip home from Tallahassee which turned four hours of flying time into a twelve-hour trip.

On Christmas Eve, we went to the Methodist Church for their service of Lessons and Carols. It was a pleasant service; the lessons and the carols were familiar; the choir sang well, sometimes accompanied by a hand bell choir. All in all, a nice evening, but Sharyn and I missed the Episcopal liturgy and celebrating the Eucharist.

The pastor preached his sermon on the visitation of the angels to the shepherd. He commented on the fact that at the time of Jesus' birth, shepherds were not held in high regard by the general population. They were dirty and unkempt; they let their sheep graze wherever they wanted to; and they were frequently accused of being thieves. "So why," the pastor asked, "do you suppose God sent the angels to these scruffy, disreputable shepherds?"

His answer reminded me that the shepherds were the type of people that Jesus would come to interact with, not the rich, the scribes, the Pharisees, nor the Sadducees, who would later reject him; Jesus came for the poor, the downtrodden, the outcast, the disreputable. He came bringing hope and the promise of a new life.

The shepherds listened to the angels, them went to the stable to see for themselves this marvelous event, Interestingly enough, they returned to the hills; they did not go into town to tell the townspeople. Perhaps they were afraid of how they would be received. Perhaps they wanted to keep the news to themselves. So they went back to their flocks rejoicing and giving praise to God. Hallelujah!

And so Jesus is with us again this year as he has been for the ages. And again we welcome the birth of our Lord and Savior. And we must share the Good News with others. Happy New Year!

Peace, Fred Philcox

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Bringing Peace

A couple of weeks before Christmas, I was still writing cards, shopping for gifts and doing all the things that I had planned to get done a lot earlier.

My first stop that day happened to be our local Christian book store. Beautiful Christmas Carols were softly playing in the background and almost immediately a saleswoman offered her assistance with anything I might be looking for. The atmosphere was so peaceful and serene, I hated to leave. Within a short time, I had what I had come in for and was checking out. I commented to the cashier, on how peaceful and serene it was there. I told her I was not looking forward to my next stop, "the mall." She smiled and said: "You can bring peace to the mall". The more I thought about it, the more I realized the truth of her statement. It is not really the place or circumstance that we find ourselves in but our own attitude that determines our happiness.

On the drive to the mall, I was reminded of the words to one of my favorite hymns: "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me". I began to think of so many positives about this trip. I had the financial resources to buy my gifts. I am retired so I can shop during the week, when it's less crowded. I gave thanks for my dependable little car and good weather conditions to drive in. I was also thankful for my good health, as I remembered the frustration I had felt one holiday season, when I had been laid up with the flu.

I entered the mall that day in a new more peaceful frame of mind. I kept that peace and tried to share it with others. People can get so stressed out shopping. You can see it in the intense, determined look on their faces. I found just smiling at people or offering a positive comment, softened their expression. I waited patiently and cheerfully in register lines, remembering a time when I had worked in retail and feeling empathy for the sales clerks, who often work long and inconvenient hours. I remembered to wish them a Merry Christmas.

As I left the mall, I thanked God for the cashier at the Christian book store, who reminded me that we are called to be an example of God's love and peace in this world. Our words are powerful. They can tear down or build up. Her one sentence, "You can bring peace to the mall," made such a difference in my day and hopefully I touched others as well. It really is a ripple effect. Pass it on!

Happy New Year everyone!, Phyl Endicott

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In Memoriam

I met Ruth Weisbauer shortly after Sharyn and I came to St Stephen's. I found her to be a rather brusque, no-nonsense kind of woman. I got to know Ruth even better when I became a part of the Stephen Ministry program here at the church. Under that brusque exterior was a woman who cared deeply about others, one who devoted great time to assisting others, She was a great help to me as I grew into Stephen Ministry. We became good friends, and I often went to her for advice. She taught me that sometimes in caring for others, you had to be forthright in order to help people deal with their problems. It was somehow ironic that in her later years, she needed the kind of care she so generously gave others for so many years. She has gone to be with her Lord. May she rest in peace. I will miss her.

Fred

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